Classroom Humor

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[Seminary-Notes] ==================================== FOR YOUR INFORMATION... ==================================== I still remember a comment made by Elder Paul H. Dunn when I was a teenager. He said, "some Latter-day Saints look as if they have been weaned on dill pickles and lemons" ("Plan to Succeed," BYU Speeches of the Year, October 19, 1971, pp. 8-9). Don't you just love to hear President Hinckley speak? I do, too! And part of the reason that it is so wonderful to hear him speak is that you never know when he will say something appropriately humorous. President Hinckley has a wonderful sense of humor -- and recognizes how and when to share it. In a February 2004 article in "The Teaching Professor," Sara E. Quay and Russell J. Quaglia ("Creating a Class-room Culture that Inspires Student Learning", p. 1) noted that: "There is nothing wrong with having a good time in class! Don't forget to laugh and have a sense of humor. In doing so, you show students that learning can be fun and that it is not disconnected from the real world around them. The moments that give students happiness are ones they value and share with others. "Question to Consider: When was the last time laughter filled my classroom?" Appropriate humor in small doses during class can help increase student participation, interest, and learning. Most important, I think, is to have a classroom environment where you and your students feel comfortable smiling and laughing. Best wishes, Ken www.KenAlford.com ScriptureMastery@KenAlford.com